St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-02
The Wheels of Legislation in the Senate
Decidedly Ologged by Edmunds,
of Vermont,
Who, After Delaying Progress as Much as
Possible, Deserts His Post of
Duty.
Passage of the River and Harbor Bill
and Other Appropriation
Schemes.
The Public Debt Reduced Nearly ST.
100000 During the Month of
February.


the regular and orderly transaction of
business, and not to yield to any effort to
hurry up proceedings. First Mr.. Cameron
moved TO dispense with the reading OF the
journal and then Mr.. Hale asked leave to
interrupt the reading in order to have the
naval appropriation bill referred to the
committee on appropriations, and again
Mr., Sherman moved to dispense with the
further reading of the journal, to all of
which propositions Mr.. EdmundS objected,
and SO the reading of the journal was pro-
ceeded with, occupying twenty minutes
time. Mr.. Hoar, from the committee on
privileges and elections. reported back the
credentials of Senators Stockbridge, of
Michigan. and Turpie. OF Indiana, together
with the protests OF the two houses or
THE INDIANA LEGISLATURE
in the latter case and moved that they be
placed on file and the committee discharged
from further consideration. So ordered.
The navai, appropriation bill was read the
second time and referred to the committee
on appropriations. Mr.. Morgan offered a
resolution inStructing the committee Oh In
dian affairs to examine into the condition of
Indian tribes along the northern border of
the United States and especially on the
White Earth reservation, Minnesota. and to
investigate the conduct of Indian agents,
etc. Adopted. The resolution offered yes
terday by Mr.. Sherman for the daily meet
ing Mt II a. N. was adopted. All the pen-
sion bills on the calendar (tiftyseven in
number) were passed, the time occupied
being just twenty-five minutes. Mr.. dale,
from the committee on appropriations, Ie-
ported back the naval appropriation bill
with amendments. Ordered printed
and placed ON the calendar. On
motion of Mr.. Mcmillan the house
bill to provide for term of court at Du-
luth, Mimi. was taken from the calendar
and passed. On motion of Mr.. Platt, the
house bill to annex a portion of Idaho to
Washington territory, was taken from the
calendar and passed, with amendments. A
conference was asked OH the amendments.
The conference report on the
RIVER AND HARBoR BILL
was presented by Mr.. Mcmillan and ex-
planned. The bill. as it came from the
house originally, appropriated. he said,
81, 46S, 900. AS it passed the senate it ap-
propriated $40, $40, 900. AS now reported
from the conference committee it appr0-
PIRATES SO, ,913, 500. The reading of the bill
was then commenced. 1t was interrupted
for the following proceedings: Mr.. Platt
inquired OF Mr.. Hoar the meaning and
effect of the report this morning from the
committee Oh privileges and elections in the
case of Senator-elect Turpie, of Indiana. Mr..
Hoar replied that, under q general rule Of
the senate. the functions of that committee
expires with the congress, and all its pa
pers are returned to the senate and pl>ced
on file. If the credentials Of MIR. Turpie
had been retained by the committee with
out action until noon of the 4th of March,
the thing under the operation of that gen.
eral rule would have then happened which
had happened this morning; that is, the
papers would have
GONE ON THE FILES
of the senate, and the committee would
have been discharged from their further
consideration. The only alternative to that
course would have been an assumption by
the committee, or by the senate, at the
present session to deal with the credentials
of gentleman, claiming to be senator
elect, before the time had arrived for the
beginning of his term and before he haC
presented himself. The senate was con.
tinuing body. and it was. therefore, posi-
Bile that il might he within its constitutional
power TO determine, in advance, the right o1
q senator to his seat, but it would be a VIC
Iaton of all constitutional precedents, ant
it would be, in his judgment, a violation OF
the sense of justice and proprlety of the
senate and of the American people. The
effect therefore, of the report was simply
to remand to the action of the sen
ate Ito be taken after March A.
without prejudice, without being il
the least affected by. any actor
now, any question which any person might
see fit to raise; that was all. No prejudice
for, no prejudice against any person who
might conceive himself entitled to a seat il
the senate hereafter would arise or haC
arisen. in consequence of the action of tht
committee or of the senate this morning
After more than half an hour spent in read
ing the river and harbor bill (as amended
bv Mr.. Edmunds), Mr.. Beck inquired
whether it was worth while to continue th
reading when no senator was listening, ant
when the senator who had asked for tn
reading was not within the chamber. Mr.
Mcmillan, who has charge of the bill
stated that Mr.. Edmunds before leaving til,
chamber had requested him to have TIN
bill
READ TO THE END.
Mr.. Hoar asked whether it was not
within the power of the senate to protect
itself from the reading of matter to suit the
will of an absent senator. The presiding
officer held that the senator from Vernon
having requested that the bill be read.
was not in order to dispense with the read
ing. And so the reading continued 10 tn
end of the bill. The conference report wa
then agreed to without discussion and with
q out division. Other bills were taken frol
the calendar and passed as follows:
House bill to confirm to Emile Gueriu ant
Cberi p. Major the title to certain lands il
Point Coupe parish, Louisiana (motion t
reconsider made by Mr.. Edmuuds); hous
bill for the relief of J. NJ. Hobbs, of Arkar
sas: senate bill to authorize the coustructio
of a bridge across the Missouri river, at c
near Yankton, DaE.; senate bill to quiet tn
rifle of settlers on the Des Moines river land
in Iowa.
EVENING SESSION.
When the senate resumed its session tn
deficiency bill was received from the house
read first and second time (Mr. Edmund
not being present) and referred to the CON
mittee on appropriations The bill flo
ascertaining and settling private Ian
claims IN New Mexico, Arizona and Colo
RADIO which was pending when the reces
was taken) was again taken up. Afte
long discussion the bill was amende
soas to make it applicable to other state
and territoris and was passed without dis
cussion. A conference was asked. Th
senate next took up the house bill for tn
allowance of certain claims reported b
accounting officers of the United State
treasury department. The bill cover
ninety-three printed pages, giving til
names of the several claimants ard th
amount due each, the majority being for
QUITE SMALL SUMS
They are chiefly for Quartermaster an
rommissary's stores taken by the arm
during the war in Missouri, West Virginia
Kentucky, Maryland and some portions {
Tennessee, there having been SON